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Will Your Engineering Industry See Jobs Growth Over Next 7 Years?

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects continual growth for engineering employment over the next 7 years, just not in every industry.

New projections from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate engineering jobs will grow 3% over the coming seven years. While some disciplines such as aerospace engineering will experience a small decline, jobs for most engineering disciplines are on the rise.

Employment for engineers will expand by roughly 67,200 new jobs. The growth rate is slower than the average for all occupations, in part, because several engineering technician categories are projected to decline as improvements in technology, such as design software, make workers more productive.

The median annual wage for engineering jobs is currently $77,900. The engineering median wages are higher than the median annual wage for all occupations, which is currently $37,040.

Click on the slideshow to see how wages and prospects for individual engineering disciplines are expected to grow or shrink over the next seven years.

Aerospace Engineering Technicians

This associates degree job averages a salary of $68,020.

Employment of aerospace engineering technicians is projected to grow 4% through 2024, slightly higher than the average for engineering disciplines. Workers in this occupation work on many projects that are related to national defense and therefore require security clearances. These requirements will help to keep jobs in the United States.

Aerospace Engineers

This bachelor’s degree job averages a salary of $109,650.

Employment of aerospace engineers is projected to decline 2% through 2024. Aircraft are being redesigned to cut down on noise pollution and to raise fuel efficiency, which will help sustain demand for research and development.

Agricultural Engineers

This bachelor’s degree job averages a salary of $73,640.

Jobs for agricultural engineering are expected to increase 4% through 2024. The growth is faster than the average for all engineering disciplines. The need to increase the efficiency of agricultural production systems and to reduce environmental damage should maintain demand for these workers.

Biomedical Engineers

This bachelor’s degree job averages a salary of $85,620.

Employment of biomedical engineers is projected to grow 23% through 2024, much faster than the average engineering discipline. Growing technology and its application to medical equipment and devices, along with an aging population, will increase demand for the work of biomedical engineers.

Chemical Engineers

This bachelor’s degree job averages a salary of $98,340.

Employment of chemical engineers is projected to grow 2 percent through 2024, slower than the average engineering discipline. Demand for chemical engineers’ services depends largely on demand for the products of various manufacturing industries.

Civil Engineering Technicians

This associates degree job averages a salary of $49,980.

Employment of civil engineering technicians is projected to grow 5% through 2024, faster than the average engineering discipline. The need to preserve, repair, upgrade, and enhance an aging infrastructure will sustain demand for these workers.

Civil Engineers

This bachelor’s degree job averages a salary of $83,540.

Employment of civil engineers is projected to grow 8 percent through 2024, considerably faster than the average engineering discipline. As infrastructure continues to age, civil engineers will be needed to manage projects to rebuild bridges, repair roads, and upgrade levees and dams, as well as airports and building structures of all types.

Computer Hardware Engineers

This bachelor’s degree job averages a salary of $115,080.

Employment of computer hardware engineers is projected to grow 3 percent through 2024, about average among engineering disciplines. A limited number of engineers will be needed to meet the demand for new computer hardware because more technological innovation takes place with software than with hardware.

Electrical Engineering Technicians

This associates degree job averages a salary of $62,190.

Employment of electrical engineering technicians is projected to decline 2 percent through 2024. Employment of these technicians is projected to decline in manufacturing and in the federal government.

Electrical Engineers

This bachelor’s degree job averages a salary of $96,270.

Employment of electrical engineers is projected to show little or no change through 2024. Change in employment is expected to be tempered by slow growth or decline in most manufacturing sectors in which electrical and electronics engineers are employed.

This is part one of a two-part article. Part one includes the disciplines Aerospace through Electrical Engineering. Part two will look at Electro-Mechanical Technicians through Petroleum Engineering. Watch DesignNews.com for part two in the month of August.

Rob Spiegel has covered automation and control for 17 years, 15 of them for Design News. Other topics he has covered include supply chain technology, alternative energy, and cyber security. For 10 years, he was owner and publisher of the food magazine Chile Pepper.

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